Fitting the Structural Model of the Relationship Between Suicidal Thoughts and Attempts in Adolescents, Considering the Mediating Variables of Family Cohesion and Self-Compassion

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

PhD student in Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Clinical Psychology, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction: Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15- to 29-year-olds worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the moderating role of family cohesion and self-compassion in the relationship between suicidal thoughts and attempts among adolescents in Tehran in 2019.
Method: This study employed a correlational design based on the analysis of structural relationships using structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population consisted of all male and female students in the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades in Tehran during the 2020-2021 academic year. The sample was selected using a multi-stage cluster sampling method. Data collection tools included the Self-Compassion Scale, a family cohesion questionnaire, and items assessing suicidal ideation and suicide attempts over the past 12 months. Data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling with the partial least squares (PLS) approach.
Results: The results showed a significant inverse relationship between family cohesion and suicide attempts. Additionally, there was a direct and significant relationship between the negative dimension of self-compassion and suicide attempts. A significant inverse relationship was also found between the positive dimension of self-compassion and suicide attempts. Other findings indicated that as suicidal ideation increases, suicide attempts decrease. Interaction analysis confirmed the moderating role of self-compassion in the relationship between suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, including its individual components. Furthermore, family cohesion was found to moderate the relationship between suicidal ideation and suicide attempts.
Discussion and Conclusion: This finding indicates that family cohesion serves as an effective external resource, while self-compassion functions as a valuable internal resource, both acting as protective shields against adolescents' tendencies toward risky behaviors.

Keywords

References

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